


Sparks Fly

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Dubious Science, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Introspection, Jackrabbit Week, Post-Movie(s), Weather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-29
Updated: 2015-01-29
Packaged: 2018-03-09 15:11:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3254324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Do y'know what happens when a cold season meets a warm one?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sparks Fly

**Author's Note:**

> For the [January Jackrabbit Week Prompt 'Seasons'](http://jackrabbitweek.tumblr.com/post/107111500458/jackrabbit-week-january-25-31-2015-welcome-to-my). 
> 
> Inspired by the song What if the Storm Ends? by Snow Patrol.

* * *

Bunny growled as his boomerang struck one of the lumbering Trolls and ricocheted off, flying up into the air. With the ease of long practise looking out for Bunny’s projectile weapons, Tooth caught it and flung it back to him. There was little damage her wings could do to the stone trolls, so she stayed above, attempting to co-ordinate their assault. 

Not that it was much of an assault. The Mountain Trolls had woken up from their slumber and were migrating to a new place to rest before winter hit. This normally wasn’t a big deal, most Trolls were fine as long they were left in peace, but their migration was taking them towards a very large, highly populated town, nestled in the valley below. 

“Turn, curse you! Turn!” North growled, attempting to wrestle one of the stone behemoths to the side. They didn’t want to kill the Trolls, just get them away from the city. 

These Trolls couldn’t tell the difference between a deer that was food and a human that wasn’t. If the Trolls got into the city, it’d be bloody, and attract attention that none of them needed. 

It wasn’t normally their job to prevent such conflicts, but North had heard of the migration and the potential problem and decided that it was a perfect time to have them practise on their ‘working together skills’. 

Personally, Bunny thought they worked together just fine, it was the new kid that needed the help. Jack’s ice was practically worthless against the Trolls, either for attempting to get them to slip and slide on it, or to freeze their feet to the ground. 

Not that Bunny’s tunnels were doing much better. The rock elementals seem to have a sixth sense for Bunny attempting to open them under their feet and herd them underground, avoiding them with an annoying feeling of ease. 

“Don’t these guys have any sort of-aaaaaahhh!” Jack’s frustrated growl was cut off as one of them swatted him into the air. Sandy’s dreamsand shifted from ropes into a giant baseball mitt, catching Jack before he could slam into any of the tall sparse pine trees around them. “-weaknesses,” Jack finished weakly, rubbing his head. “Thanks, Sandman.” 

Sandy flashed Jack a smile and small salute. 

“They do.” Tooth nodded, flying over to check on Jack, who was standing up, clearly unhurt. “Loud noises like Church bells, and Lightning.” 

“Neither of which we got at hand, unless that little stick o’ yers can shoot something other than ice,” Bunny drawled, attempting to open another tunnel underneath a Troll. The Troll froze, foot hanging in mid-air, before pivoting on one foot to avoid the tunnel. With an annoyed grunt, Bunny closed the tunnel, and the Troll continued to walk. 

From the corner of his eye, he could see Jack frown in his direction, but he ignored it, along with the twisting feeling he got in his gut whenever he saw the newest Guardian. 

Bunny still wasn’t entirely sure what to think of Jack Frost. He hated Jack’s brash and reckless nature, even as he admired Jack’s strength and courage. Bunny still couldn’t get the bitter flavour out of his mouth from two failed Easters that Jack had had a part in, one of which Bunny was still recovering from. Or the fluttering feeling in his chest at the fact that Jack had saved his life when all seemed darkest by rekindling belief in the Easter Bunny, and thereby the rest of the Guardians as well. 

He was constantly torn between wanting to wrap the kid up and blankets and hide him in the Warren, or toss him through the nearest magic portal. It made him grumpy and unsettled, which resulted in him nettling the kid without meaning to. It wasn’t that he _hated_ Jack, not any more, but he didn’t know how else to react. 

“Clouds maybe?” North said, hanging upside down on the back of a Troll, his legs hooked on the oblivious Troll’s shoulders. Bunny wasn’t going to ask, North could obviously free himself with ease if he wanted to. “You bring snow storms, _da_? Bring thunderstorm instead.” 

“Different kind of clouds...” Jack said hesitantly, looking up at the mostly clear night sky with a thoughtful air. The sky always seemed to match the kid’s mood, small soft little snowflakes starting to drift down. Jack launched himself air, the wind keeping him hovering as he stared at the clouds as if in communication. 

North righted himself with a grunt, wrapping his arms around the Troll’s head as if he were attempting to open a stuck jar lid. It didn’t work. Bunny ran a hand down his face, silently despairing for his friend’s common sense. Sandy wrapped his sand around the same Troll’s legs, attempting to yank them out from under the Troll and send North flying. That also didn’t work. 

Bunny didn’t know why he hung out with these guys. Honestly. Sometimes he thought Tooth was the only other one with a lick of common sense. And then he remembered that she was endlessly fascinated with _teeth_. 

“Hey, Bunny!” Jack called, catching his attention. The kid was standing on the edge of a narrow branch at the top of a tree, his slight weight barely dragging the limb down. “Spring means growing things, right?”

“Yeah.” Bunny nodded with a frown, wondering where Jack was going with this. 

“Could you do that here?” Jack asked, gesturing to the forest around them with a wave of his staff. “Grow things, bring Spring here? Just around where the Trolls are?”

Bunny glanced around, taking note of where the Trolls were slowly lumbering. He’d tried growing things to stop the Trolls, vines mostly, but they’d either walked straight through, tearing the plants from the ground, or moved around them. 

“I reckon...?” Bunny agreed uncertainty, wondering where Jack was going with this. The area wasn’t terribly large, hopefully not enough to anger any Autumn spirits. “Why? What are ya gonna do?” 

Jack grinned, something that was both dark and bright with mischief, and Bunny ignored the way his pulse seemed to quicken at the expression. “I’m gonna be back in a few minutes.” 

With that cryptic cue, Jack launched himself up into the air, the wind whistling as it whisked him away. 

Bunny glanced over at Tooth, who shrugged, clearly as confused as he was. Bunny shrugged back, then gave himself a good shake, both figuratively and literally. They’d find out in a few minutes. 

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he calmed and centred himself, reaching down inside himself where he kept tight reign on his abilities. He didn’t tend to grow things outside of preparing for Easter, it was too easy to get carried away, leave growing things outside their season in his wake. 

He loved creating new life, but he liked giving it a chance to flourish and grow, not die hours or days later from his own carelessness. 

Under the soil, the sleeping seeds and spores responded to his touch, sleepily at first, then bursting out of the ground with bright vibrant energy, shooting upwards towards the sun. Bunny could feel it thrumming through him, the joy of rebirth and new life. 

He began to run, flowers and saplings sprouting in his wake. He pushed the trees more than the flowers, they could survive the upcoming winter more than their delicate cousins, and they grew tall and proud, joining their brethren on the mountainside. Bunny ran around the Trolls, circling them, the new trees forming a wall that finally paused their progress. 

Not for long, as they started to push up against the smallest of the new trees, attempting to break them down, and Bunny circled around them again, adding more trees, sending vines up to reinforce and add strength to the barricade. Tooth hovered overhead, occasionally calling out directions, keeping an eye on everything. 

He could feel the air heat up a bit, losing the slight chill of Autumn it had carried, his own muscles relaxing at being in his element. It was hard not to laugh, bright and giddy at the rush of it. 

“I see Jack!” North bellowed, and Bunny glanced up to see that Sandy had formed a pirate ship with his dreamsand, North perched on the bow of it like a proud pirate captain, his long red coat flapping in the wind. 

Bunny stopped and peered in the direction North was motioning, then growled in annoyance as his view was blocked by all the trees he’d just grown. He leapt up into the branches, hopping from one to the other until he could see clearly. 

When he could, he felt a chill that had little to do with the bite of the wind that was howling in their direction. In the distance, he could Jack’s tiny form, dark forbidding storm clouds forming in his wake. 

He swallowed back a curse, realising what Jack’s plan was. “SANDY! NORTH! TOOTH!” He bellowed, waving an arm to catch their attention. Sandy was the only one who looked like he realised what was about to happen, a worried expression on his sleepy face as he steered his ship in Bunny’s direction. 

“What’s going on?” Tooth asked, flying over. 

“Grab a portal and get outta here.” Bunny directed. “Least 50 klicks, if not more.”

“What?” North looked outraged. “Why?” 

Bunny could feel his hair start to raise on end, a static charge building up as Jack flew closer. Bunny pointed to the clouds. “When a **cold** storm front hits an area of _warm air_ -” He pointed down to the trees and flowers below them. “-Whadday think happens?!” 

Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, and North’s eyes went round and wide in recognition. He started fumbling around on the inside of his coat for a snowglobe. 

“What about you?” Tooth asked, concerned. 

“I’ll be fine.” He waved her off. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on the kid, and I’ll be safe ‘nough underground.”

He didn’t want to think of what would happen to North or Tooth if they got struck by the incoming storm. Sandy would probably be okay, he surfed on hurricanes because he thought it was fun, but Bunny had seen sand fused into twisted shapes after it had been struck by lightning. While such Fulgurites were interesting to look at, he didn’t want to think about how much that would hurt their Sandman. 

“Okay.” Tooth nodded, tiny hands squeezing his shoulder in camaraderie, silently conveying her urge for him to stay safe. He would have brushed off the words, but nodded at the unsaid message, patting her hand in thanks before she pulled away. 

“Found it!” North cheered, holding aloft a snowglobe. Bunny could feel the charge in the air growing stronger, and wondered if the others could feel it as well. North quickly whispered into the globe and tossed it, Sandy giving Bunny a wave before directing his ship into portal, Tooth landing next to North before they disappeared into the light.

Bunny scanned the horizon and gave a quick huff of relief when he spotted a small flare of light in the distance, hopefully outside the striking range. Lightning was a funny thing, it could travel for over two dozen miles before striking something where it was cloudless and sunny. 

The cold wind howled a warning at him, and he shivered, his fur crackling with electricity as he moved. Jack was close enough for Bunny to almost see him clearly, and saw Jack’s waving arm, trying to warn Bunny of what was about to happen. 

Bunny waved back and hopped off the branch, toes barely touching the trees as he went for the ground. The Trolls shifted restlessly as the clouds began to gather overhead, eclipsing the faint light from the stars above. 

He opened a tunnel just in time for the first ‘crack- _BOOM_ ’ of lightning to hit. He dived into it, directing it deep into the ground and crouching at the bottom, staring upwards, straining for any sign of the youngest Guardian. 

They had asked the kid for lightning, and he’d brought it. 

Even sheltered by the earth, he could feel the tremors of the storm outside, the violent way the wind howled, lightning lighting up the skies and striking the ground with the fury of Thor’s hammer striking an anvil. Bunny’s ears pressed against his head, nearly deafened from the roar of the thunder, the crashing of fallen trees, and what he swore sounded like one or two of them exploding in impact. 

He didn’t know how long it lasted, time measured by the too rapid pounding of his heart as the storm raged above him as if the world was ending and being reborn in the same moment. It seemed to take an age before the lightning strikes started to weaken and slow. He counted the silence between that began to linger between the strikes, one-one thousand, two-one thousand… 

When he could count to ten before the next one, he got his feet under him and carefully climbed to the surface, fur bristling with extra static, wondering what became of Jack, heart still beating fast in hope that the kid was okay. 

The first thing he noticed was that the forest was a mess. Half the trees he had grown were gone, either having been torn down or having retreated back into the ground to slumber for a more peaceful time to grow. There were large boulders that weren’t there before, the Trolls having curled up and returned to their slumber for the next hundred years or so in the face of the storm’s fury. 

He hoped the locals would pass it off as a rockslide. 

“Jack?” Bunny called, looking around. The storm hadn’t brought much water with it, but the ground was damp and freezing. A flash of lightning struck nearby and he flinched, nearly retreating into his hole again. “Jack?!”

He didn’t want to think about what would happen if he couldn’t find Jack. 

Bunny started to run, dashing across the uneven ground, looking for any scrap or sign of blue against the dark brown of the wet trees and the ground. “JACK!” 

Nothing. 

If that fool kid had gotten himself killed over this, Bunny would bring him back just to kill him again. 

It’d be his fault too. He had asked Jack to bring lightning. And hadn’t been over fussed on requesting the scale of it, which was a damn fool mistake because he _knew_ Jack didn’t think about consequences before acting. His heart was in the right place, but dammit, ‘forethought’ wasn’t much in Jack’s repertoire. 

That’s why the idiot needed them…. 

A flash of light caught his eye and he craned his neck upwards, to where the lighting was flickering from cloud to cloud with bright trails of light that illuminated the clouds from the inside. Bunny’s breath caught in his throat as he spotted what looked like a miniature glowing star up against the fading clouds.

“JACK!”

Heart in his throat, he leapt on top of one of the tallest trolls, watching as Jack darted this way and that, shouting and waving his arms at the clouds. The frost that coated his body reflected the flashes of lightning back, making him look like he was an incandescent being of pure light. 

He was blindsided by the unexpected overwhelming feeling of relief. 

He was the Guardian of _Hope_ , but it was the hardest emotion for him to trust in. He’d had his hopes dashed too often, been too trusting, too soft. 

And yet, he couldn’t help himself. He cursed himself for a fool every time, but he always hoped. Hoped that things would work out, that everything would be okay. 

Most times, they are. It’s the times they’re not that he worried about. 

Jack flittered back and forth, arms and legs waving as he danced with the lightning, managing to dodge every strike. It would have been a beautiful sight if Jack hadn’t been so obviously distressed. “What’s goin’ on?” Bunny mused, ears twitching as he trying to make sense of it. 

And then wind seemed to spot him, spiralling around him and bringing Jack’s voice with it. “Good clouds, nice clouds. You’ve done your job. See? The trolls are all asleep. You can go now.” Jack’s voice was cajoling as he flailed. ”Please? Pretty please?”

Bunny huffed with amusement, realising that Jack was trying to get the clouds to disperse, with little luck. His plants were the same way, it was easier to get them to grow than to not. Once created, they tended to take on a mind of their own.

“Oh! Bunny!” Jack spotted him. “I… Uh…” He landed in the branches of the tree next to Bunny, looking young and unsure as he gave a small guilty little wave. “Hi-?” 

Bunny stared at him, taking advantage of the close proximity to studying Jack. He really wasn’t a bad sort. Older and wiser than his appearance. Bold and skittish by turns. Bit rough around the edges, but with a good heart. 

… Bit like himself, really. 

That might have been part of the problem there. 

“Where are the others?” Jack said, looking nervous at the scrutiny. “They okay?” 

“Yeah.” Bunny absently motioned towards where he had seen the portal open. “I sent them outta strike range, and stayed ta keep an eye on ya.” 

“And you call _me_ reckless,” Jack muttered. 

Bunny snorted in amusement and Jack gave him a wary glance, clearly expecting a biting comment in return. It soured his mood a little. Just because they were teammates didn’t mean they were friends, and most of that rested on Bunny’s shoulders. 

Which… Bunny _probably_ should apologise for. Maybe. 

If Jack was bull-headedly stubborn, then Bunny was infinitely more so, and apologies did not come easy to him. 

That does not mean that there aren’t other ways to make amends. 

“Do y'know what happens when a cold season meets a warm one?” Bunny offered, a tentative olive branch disguised as a joke. 

The mistrustful look Jack gave him clearly stated that the kid sensed it was a trap, but couldn’t quite figure out what it was. 

They were both tricksters, after all. 

Bunny tapped Jack’s leg, the closest thing he could reach. Electricity arced between them, making Jack jump and yelp. 

Bunny smirked, ignoring the way his own fur was fluffing up every which way. “That.” 

Jack sputtered at him, torn between incredulous and amused, half-formed words falling from his lips. 

“C’mon.” Bunny chuckled and gave himself a shake, getting his fur to lay at least partially right again. He opened a tunnel and dropped down before the brat could come up with a retort. “Best we go join the others.”

Jack shouted something at him that was too muffled for him to make out, but wasn’t overly concerned with. He could sense Jack following him, the sparks flying between them. 

-fin-


End file.
